Why is industrialization so bad for the environment?

Answers

There are two major answers to this question. Firstly, huge industrial complexes and the expansion of cities destroys natural habitats for wildlife. Hence the mass extinction we are presently seeing in this industrial age. Secondly, industrial chemicals pollute the air and water, harming both humans and animals. Things like asbestos and pesticide have been linked to various cancers, and those are just a couple of the harmful chemicals released by industrialization. Think of the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico – an accident that can itself be linked to the pollution of a large, industrialized company. Furthermore, industrialization releases greenhouse gasses (think of methane released by factory farms) that increase the risk of global warming.

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, a consumer-fueled economy has increased demands for products and services which require production and manufacturing, transportation, distribution, and disposal. Consequences of industrialization include, but are not limited to: serious waste management problems, deforestation and overdevelopment, destroying entire ecosystems and harming human, animal and plant species. The incessant burning of fossil fuels to supply energy for electricity alone in industrialized nations emits excessive amounts of carbon dioxide, contributing to the effects of global warming while also polluting the air.